The Street Church

It's one of those secondary issues in Christianity that can often divide people. Is a secondary baptism of the Holy Spirit required, or is a believer immediately filled with the Spirit upon conversion? Does it matter either way? Today, Simon Gill looks at the baptism of the Spirit and what is true for every believer, no matter where they land on this issue.

One of the deep longings of the human heart is to live with God. Augustine said, "Our heart is restless until it rests in you." God's desire is also to dwell with us - he did it in the garden, and he'll do it fully again on the New Earth. But what about now? How does God dwell with us now? By his Spirit.

In light of all that God accomplished through his Son at the cross - how now are we to live? What does living a life crucified with Christ actually look like?

Jesus did it all for us at the cross. It was his great victory over sin, death and Satan, and made a way for us to be reconciled to God and to each other. How could we boast in anything we've done? Paul says all such boasting is worthless - there's only one thing worth making much of: the cross.

The cross made a way for Jews and Gentiles to be reconciled, but only because it made it possible for us all to be first reconciled to God. How did the cross make it possible for lost sinners to come near to a holy God?